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Minnesota legislature proposes the gag rule

In yet another effort to prevent women from accessing medical services, the Minnesota legislature moves to implement the gag rule (aka the Mexico City Policy). This would prevent any state funds from going to any organization that is associated with or may council about abortion services – hospitals and clinics included. The MN legislature wants the gag rule to ensure that woman can’t even be educated about their choices. Talking about abortion would be forbidden by the government. (How very 1984 of them)

What the Minnesota legislature always seems to forget ignore is that abortions are medically necessary procedures. While this bill is certainly targeted to defund women’s clinics that provide medically accurate information about family planning, many hospitals also have programs to provide these services. Would a hospital run the risk of losing much needed funding when they perform an abortion to save the life of the mother? Would they lose funding when they council a rape victim about their options?

The continued short-sighted, ignorant and hateful war on women – especially poor women – has to come to an end. The middle class and poor in Minnesota should not bear the brunt of the budget cuts in order to fund stadiums and tax cuts for the rich. Eliminating funding for family planning programs and implementing the gag rule only propagates the cycle of poverty. Only education can end this cycle. Unfortunately the GOP’s biggest fear is an educated public and they will (apparently) stop at nothing to prevent this.